Rail-joint.



R. T. GUNN.

BAIL JOINT.

APPLIoATIoN FILED AUG. za 1910.

Patented May 23, 1911.

I wash.

ROBERT T. GUNN, 0F LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

RAIL-JOINT.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1911.

Application filed August 23, 1910. Serial No. 578,497.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ROBERT T. GUNN, a `citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in a rail joint of the suspension or truss kind of the type shown in my former U. S. Patent No. 751,910, dated Feb. 9, 1904, and has all the features embraced in said patent with additional elements of construction and advantages which will be hereinafter described.

The objects of my invention are to strengthen the entire joint by providing an extra channel or perpendicular piece of steel directly underneath the ends of the rails, and at the same time increase the conductivity of the joint by having a larger and more permanent area of contact between the rail ends and joint, and prevent all danger of distortion or collapse of the bond by reason of the tendency of the rails to creep and force the joint or bond against the supporting ties for the rails.

A further object of the invention is to effect a combined rail joint and bond which is exceedingly strong, simple, effective, and non-creeping, and which does not depend on spikes being driven into or other means secured to the ties.

The especial object of my present invention is to provide a rail joint which will prevent the creeping of the rails and be secured in place by a single operation, which will not require the changing of the forms of existing rolls used in the manufacture of the fish-plates or other parts of the combined joint and bond. Furthermore, the construction will not require the necessity of boring more holes in the web of the rail, extra bonding-strips or care in cleaning the parts of the joint or vbond before they are secured together, thus doing away with the expense of employing high-salaried artisans and expensive chemicals, and which will likewise prevent oxidation of the meeting faces, thereby always preserving perfect contact between the ends of the rails and the key forming part of the joint` and bond.

My invention comprises novel features of construction and relation of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described, and

specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, in which,

Figure 1, is a side elevation of my improved combined rail joint and bond; Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, is a cross-section on line III- III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, is an end View of the bonding key preventing creeping of the rail and joint; Fig. 5, is a top plan view of the key shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, is a side view of a modified form of the key; and Fig. 7, is a top plan view of the key shown in Fig. G.

Referring to the the ends of the rails to be joined and bonded.

2, 2, are the ties supporting the ends of the rails, and 3, 3, are fish-plates, each of which is so bent as to form fish-plate seetions 4, 4, which lie on each side of the rail ends, and between the head and base of the rail said rail ends are provided with openings 9, 9, for the passage of securing means, as bolts 10, 10.

5, 5, are central and integral extensions resting on the upper sides of the bases of the rail ends.

6, 6, are further extensions from the central section 5, 5, which extend downwardly outside the rail-base and of such a width so as to pass between the ties 2, 2.. The extensions 6, G, are each provided with a slot or opening 7, for the insertion of the lateral extensions 8, of the combined bonding and anti-creeping key 8. These openings or slots 7, 7, and key 8, are so proportioned and adjusted, as to have the under sides of the adjoining rail bases firmly rest on the upper side of the key 8, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the downwardly extending ends 11, 11, of the key 8, abut against the ties 2, 2, as shown in Fig. 1. For the purpose of reinforcing the supporting qualities of said key 8, the same may be provided with a central longitudinal strengthening rib 12, and while this is my preferred form'of invention, said rib 12 may be omitted and a key constructed as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 substituted therefor.

The key 8 may be provided on its upper side and central section, with a slight depression or pocket 13, suicient in width and length to overlap the adjacent ends yof the rails 1, 1, and in this pocket is placed a small drawings, l, 1, indicate quantity of amalgam or other electric-current-conducting paste 14;.

While I have shown a depression or pocket, this is not absolutely essential to the invention, as the paste may be simply spread on the upper side of the key before inserted in the slots or keyways, and the key bar 8 may be copper-plated before being inserted, or the under side of the bases of the abutting rails may be copper-plated for several inches and used in combination with a copper-plated key, or if so desired no paste or copper-plating need be used, but simply the bare construction of the key, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 when a rail joint is only desired.

The manner of assembling` and securing my combined rail joint and bond in position is as follows: The key 8 being copperplated or not, and provided with paste on its upper side or recess is placed under the abutting ends of the rails. Then the fishplates 3, 3, are placed on each side of theV rails, having the ends 8, 8, of the key 8, resting in the slots or openings 7, 7, of the downward extensions 6, 6. The bolts 10, 10, are then passed through the openings 9 of the fish-plates and the web of the rails, and when the bolts are tightened the different parts will assume the positions as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the key or cross-bar being firmly held in place and supporting the ends of the rails from sagging and at the same time acting as an electric bond for the current in passing from one rail to the next.

It will be especially noticed that the turned down ends ll, ll, of the key 8, are securely held between and against the ties 2, 2, and hence firmly hold the sections of the rails l, l, and the joint or bond from any possibility to creep thereby remedying a defect most common in inventions of this nature.

From the above it will be seen that I have formed a compact, cheap, and reliable joint and bond which cannot be tampered with or any of its parts easily stolen and at the same time preventing any oxidation of the under side of the rrail-bases and upper side of the key, thereby insuring constantly a good contact between the rail ends and crossbar or key, and if desired a thin plate of copper or other conducting material may be placed between the bottom of the ends of ,the rails and t-he top of the key.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim is :q

l. A rail joint comprising two rail ends, fish-plates normally in contact with the rail ends, fastening means passing through said fish-plates and webs of the rail ends, a downwardly extending section on each of the fish-plates passing below the rail-bases and between the adjacent supporting-ties for the rails and provided with an opening or slot, a key supported in the openings or slots and having extensions abutting against the adjacent supporting ties.

2. A rail joint comprising two rail ends, fish plates normally in contact with the rail ends, fastening means passing through the y said fish-plates and webs of the rail ends, a

downwardly extending section on each of the fish-plates passing below the rail bases and between the adjacent supporting ties for the rails and provided with an opening or slot, a key supported in the openings or slots and bearing against the underside of the rail ends and having extensions abutting against the adjacent supporting ties.

3. A rail point comprising two rail ends, fish-plates having upper and lower flanges normally in contact with the rail ends, fastening means passing through the said fishplates and webs of the rail ends, a'downwardly extending section on each of the lower flanges passing below the rail-bases and between the adjacent supporting ties for the rails and provided with an opening or slot, a key supported in the openings or slots and having extensions abutting against the adjacent supporting ties.

4L. A rail joint comprising two rai/l ends, fish-plates having upper and lower flanges normally in contact with the rail ends, fastening means passing through the said lishplates and webs of the rail ends, a downwardly extending section on each of the lower flanges passing below the rail-bases and between the adjacent supporting ties for the rails and provided with an opening or slot, a key provided with lateral extensions supported in the openings or slots and having .ends abutting against the adjacent supporting ties. Y

5. A rail joint comprising two railV ends, fish-plates having upper and lower anges normally in contact with the rail ends, fastening means passingthrough the said fishplates and webs of the rail ends, a downwardly extending section on each 'of the lower flanges passing below the rail bases and between the adjacent supporting ties for the rails and provided with an opening or slot, a key supported in the openings or slots and bearing against the underside of the rail ends, and having extensions abutting against the adjacent supporting ties.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT T. GUNN lVitnesses:

MARGARET RILEY, JN0. H. FLooD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

